# Quick Start

Section: Getting Started · Page: https://artsvp.com/docs/getting-started/quick-start

(Plans: All plans)

From a brand-new account to guests walking through the door, this Quick Start
covers the whole ARTSVP journey in one pass: create an event, decide how guests
book, invite people, watch the guest list fill, and check everyone in on the day.
Follow it to have a working event today, or to see how the pieces fit before you
set up in earnest.

One route along the way depends on your plan: sending personal invitations needs
Pro or Expert. On Free, you share a booking link instead, and the rest of the
journey reads the same.

1. [Create your account and team](#create-your-account-and-team)
2. [Create your first event](#create-your-first-event)
3. [Publish your event](#publish-your-event)
4. [Add or invite guests](#add-or-invite-guests)
5. [Manage the guest list](#manage-the-guest-list)
6. [Check guests in](#check-guests-in)

## Create your account and team

Sign up with your name, email address, and a password, and onboarding takes over
in three short steps: **Team**, **Event**, **Ready**.

On the **Team** step, name your team (guests see this on your booking pages),
then under **What best describes your team?** choose **Art Fair**, **Gallery**,
**Artist**, or **Other**, and pick your country. Your team is your organisation
on ARTSVP: the home for your events, guests, and settings.

If a colleague invited you by email instead, accept the invitation with the
address that received it and you join their existing team, nothing to set up.

## Create your first event

The **Event** step asks what kind of occasion you are planning, and pre-fills a
sensible setup to match:

| Starting point | Best for |
|---|---|
| **Public Event** | Opening an event to anyone, with one bookable time |
| **Private View** | Inviting collectors and guests to one private opening |
| **VIP Preview** | Welcoming VIPs before the public opening |
| **Press Preview** | Hosting press with focused, one-person registrations |
| **Public Day Passes** | One pass for each day of a public event |
| **Timed Entry & Appointments** | Guests choose a precise visit time |
| **Register Interest** | Collecting requests and approving bookings before confirming |
| **Something else** | A standard event with no presets |

After you pick a starting point, name the event, then say **Where is it?**.
**In Person** needs a **Venue name** and **Venue address** before you can
continue; **Online** hides those fields because guests join via a link or
livestream. Then set the date and time, and continue. The event is saved as a
**draft**: nothing is public yet, and you can keep editing.

In a hurry? This step is skippable, your team already exists, so you can go
straight to the dashboard and create an event later with **New Event**.

## Publish your event

Your dashboard greets you with a **Launch your first event** checklist that
tracks these steps and links you to the right place:

1. **Publish your first event.** Continue editing the draft in the event wizard.
   A starting point only creates the draft, so give its schedule, capacity,
   tickets, visibility, and the emails guests receive a proper look, then
   publish, and the event is live for guests.
2. **Send your first invitation** (Plans: Pro & Expert)
3. **Get your first RSVP.**

When all steps are done, choose **Complete onboarding** to hide the checklist.

## Add or invite guests

There are two routes into an event, and you can use both at once:

- **Share the booking link** (Plans: All plans), every published event
  has a booking page. Put the link on your website, in your newsletter, or on
  social media, and guests book themselves.
- **Send personal invitations** (Plans: Pro & Expert), invite named
  guests individually or from a CSV, and track each response. Open the event's
  **Guests** page to start inviting.

## Manage the guest list

The event's **Guests** page is the live guest list. Every invitation, booking,
and walk-in lands here, so the whole team works from one current view instead of
competing spreadsheets. Watch responses arrive, manage capacity and the
waitlist, and see each guest's status as it changes.

[Guest List](https://artsvp.com/docs/guest-management/guest-list) explains the statuses and what
each one means.

## Check guests in

On the day, open the guest list on a phone or tablet and check guests in as they
arrive, or, on the Pro and Expert plans, put a QR scanner on the door for
larger events. On Free, check guests in by name the same way. Either route,
check-ins update in real time for everyone on the team.

[Check-in](https://artsvp.com/docs/guest-management/check-in) and
[Scanners](https://artsvp.com/docs/guest-management/scanners) cover the door in detail.

> **Tip:** Book a test place yourself before you share the link, so you see
> exactly what your guests will see, including the confirmation email.

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Keep reading: [Key Concepts](https://artsvp.com/docs/getting-started/key-concepts) ·
[Creating events](https://artsvp.com/docs/events/creating-events) ·
[Invitations](https://artsvp.com/docs/guest-management/invitations) ·
[Gallery Guide](https://artsvp.com/docs/gallery-guide/overview) ·
[Art Fair Guide](https://artsvp.com/docs/art-fair-guide/overview)

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